Checkout counter



July 26, 1966 A. H. COHEN 3,262,519

CHECKOUT COUNTER Filed June 2, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I5) 55 ,f 5 I i J26 I8 /2 INVENTOR. AARON H. COHEN ATTORNEYS.

July 26, 1966 A. H. COHEN CHECKOUT COUNTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June2, 1965 m w m w a R M 1.. w m M M R A A 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 2,1965 INVENTOR.

AARON H. COHEN ATTORA/[KSZ United States Patent 3,262,519 CHECKOUTCOUNTER Aaron H. Cohen, Jenkintown, Pa., assignor to Sel-Lect FixturesDistributors, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaFiled June 2, 1965, Ser. No. 460,770 6 Claims. (Cl. 186-1) Thisinvention relates generally to a checkout counter and specifically tothe arrangement of cash register stands and loading stations thereon.

In a crowded supermarket it is naturally essential to provide for aquick and efficient checkout of purchased articles. It is equallyimportant to efficiently and effectively handle a large number ofcustomers as quickly and as courteously as possible. A new and improvedcheckout counter is proposed which will physically and psychologicallydirect a line of customers along the counter while encouraging thecustomers to aid in the checking out and bagging of the articlespurchased.

Therefore, to provide the foregoing and to overcome other diflicultiesof the prior art, the general object of this invention is to provide anew and improved checkout counter.

It is an object of this invention to provide a checkout counter whichwill encourage a customer to aid in bagging his own purchase.

An object of this invention is to provide a checkout counter whichmaintains a continuous separation between a customer and a cashierenabling the latter to work freely without interference.

Another object of this invention is to provide bagging wells at a rearstation on a checkout counter which facilitates the bagging of purchasesthereat.

A further object of this invention is to provide a convenient locationof the most commonly used bags at the bagging areas on a checkoutcounter.

A further object is to provide an improved checkout counter which iseconomical to produce and which utilizes conventional, currentlyavailable components that lend themselves to standard mass productionmanufacturing techniques.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in thedrawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had byreferring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the improved checkout counter.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational side view of FIGURE 1 showing the cashiersside of the counter.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational View of FIGURE 1 showing the customersside of the counter.

FIGURE 4 is an end elevational view showing the rear of the counter inFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view along line 6-6.

FIGURE 7 is a partial sectional view of FIGURE 6 taken along line 7-7.

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate likeelements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a drawing of the checkout counterof one embodiment of the present invention designated generally as 10.The

of FIGURE 5 taken counter 10 has an elongated, generally rectangularshape, as shown, with a front at 12 and a rear at 14. The customers side15 of the counter is illustrated in FIG URE 3. The cashiers side 17 ofthe counter is illustrated in FIGURE 2. A conveyor system 18, 18' isprovided to carry articles from the front 12 of the counter 10 to a rearstation at 19. The rear station 19 has a downwardly sloping deck 16 toaid in collecting purchased articles from conveyor 18 for packaging.

A cash register stand 20 projects out from a front portion of counter 10on the cashiers side 17 as illustrated in FIGURE 1. The cash registerstand 20 forms an oblique projection pointing toward the rear of thecounter 10. This projection of stand 20 serves to guide customers in anadjacent aisle away from the cashiers side 17 thereby providing a freespace behind the stand 20 enabling a cashier to move along the cashiersside 17 to the rear station 19 Without interference. The obliqueorientation increases the ability of the checker to simultaneously viewthe register and merchandise on plate 26 with minimum effort.

A check station 25 is provided in the counter 10 by a switch underpressure plate 26, which upon loading stops the front conveyor system18. Convenient controls for the conveyor system 18, 18' are provided byswitches 29, 29, 22 and foot pedal 21 on the cashiers side 17 of thecounter. Switch 29 is a manual switch adjacent stand 20 and when in theon position starts conveyor system 18. As soon as articles are removedfrom plate 26, system 18 resumes movement delivering more articles onplate 26. Foot pedal 21 is only used when there is a malfunction withthe ability of plate 26 controlling system 18. The purpose of switch 22Will be made clear hereinafter. System 18 is selectively operable byswitches 29 or 22 which are in parallel in the same circuit. Amiscellaneous drawer 28 is provided beneath the cash register. Drawer 28has two slots in the front wall, is internally divided, and preferablyprovided with a lock.

A flat cashier bagging platform 30 is provided at the rear of counter 10on the cashiers side 17. As illustrated, the platform 30 is at aconvenient level beneath the sloping deck 16. A first set of shelving isprovided at and separated into various sizes by the vertical adjustablypositionable separator plates 37. Additional shelving is provided at 38beneath the platform 30 and divided into various compartments by thevertical dividers 39.

A flat customer bagging platform 40 is provided at the rear 14 ofcounter 10 on the customers side 15 as illustrated in FIGURE 1. Shelvingfor use in conjunction with the platform 40 is provided beneath the rearstation 19 and above the platform 40. The shelving 45 is divided intovarious compartments by the vertical separators 47. Additional shelving48 is provided beneath the platform 40 and divided into variouscompartments by the vertical separators 49.

An upright box is provided at the rear 14 of counter 10 on the cashiersside 17. The upright box 50 includes a bottom 51 and is open at the top53. The most commonly used standard size of bags are kept in the box 50.A wrap-around bumper bar 55 provides a protection around the box 50. Thebox 50 separates the platforms 30 and 40 to provide separate b aggingWells at and 65.

Customers checking out place purchased articles on the conveyor 18 andwatch While they are being checked at the check station 25. Thecustomers will be guided away from a cashier at an adjacent counter bythe oblique projection of cashier stand 20. The customers will move tothe rear station 19 along with the purchased articles. The cashier mayfreely walk from the cashier stand 20 to the rear station 19 to beginbagging while at bagging position. A standard size bag is removed fromthe box 50, opened and placed into the bagging well 60 on the platform30. Purchased articles are removed from the rear station 19 and placedin the bag. Additional bags of varying sizes may be taken from theshelving at 35 and 38. The side of the box 50 will aid in keeping thebag in the well 60' at an upright position. Thus, it will be noted thatan open bag on platform 30 in well 60 will be enclosed on three sideswhich enhances positioning the bag in an upright disposition.

A customer, during this time, will normally be standing in the vicinityof the other bagging well 65. The standard size bags will be visible tohim in the box 50. Various other size bags will be visible and availableto the customer in the shelving at 45 and 48. The platform 40 will beseparated by the box 50 from the platform 30 to provide a completelyseparate work area on the customers side. Thus, hopefully, the customerwill be encouraged to aid in bagging his own purchases, particularlyduring rush periods.

If the number of articles is large, some of them will be located onconveyor system 18' at the beginning of the bagging operation. If theswitch 29' was turned off prior to the bagging operation, the cashierneed only turn switch 22 on. This will restart conveyor system 19'. Theswitch 22 is conveniently located near well 60 so that the cashier doesnot have to walk back to switch 29'.

In FIGURE 8, there is illustrated another embodiment of the presentinvention designated generally as The checkout counter 10' is identicalwith the checkout counter 10 except as will be made clear hereinafter.Accordingly, corresponding structure is provided with correspondingnumerals.

The checkout counter 10', in place of the belt type conveyor system 18,utilizes a conveyor system in the form of a rotating disk 70 which isadapted to convey articles onto the pressure plate 26'. The conveyorsystem 18' of checkout counter 10 is designated as 72 in the checkoutcounter 10. A foot pedal 74 is provided and corresponds identically withthe foot pedal 21. Likewise, switches 76 and 78 are providedcorresponding identically with switches 29 and 29', respectively.

A switch not shown but corresponding identically to switch 22 will beprovided to effect operation of conveyor system 72. The checkout counter10 is designed for use in checkout systems wherein the customer willunload the articles from the cart and place them on the disk 70 in thearea designated A. The disk 70 will convey the articles to the pressureplate 26'. When the customer has fully unloaded the cart, the cart willbe moved into the aisle designated by the arrow 80. Thereafter, thecustomer will move into the customer aisle designated by the arrow 82.Otherwise, the system of checkout counter 10' is identical with thecheckout counter 10. The position and location of the cashier stand 20facilitates the provision of a walking space for the cashier withoutinterfering with the carts which will be dispose-d in the aisleindicated by the arrow 80.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and,accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, ratherthan to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. A checkout counter comprising an elongated counter having a customerside and a cashier side and including a conveyor means for carryingarticles thereon to a rear station on said counter; a cash registerstand projecting from said cashier side to provide free spacetherebehind enabling a cashier to move along said cashier side to saidrear station without interference with customers or carts in an adjacentaisle; a first fiat bagging platform below said rear station on saidcashier side at a convenient level; a second flat bagging platform belowsaid rear station on rear end of said counter at a convenient level forcustomer assistance in bagging; and an upright box affixed at a rearcorner of said counter at said cashier side, said box separating saidfirst and second platforms and being open at top for storage of astandard size bag therein, said box cooperating to stand bags on saidfirst and second platforms and maintaining a separation between saidcustomer and cashier sides which encourages said customer assistance.

2. A checkout counter in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first andsecond bagging platforms are at the same convenient level.

3. A checkout counter in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cashregister stand projects obliquely toward rear of said counter forguidance of said customers in said adjacent aisle away from said cashierside and enhancing vision of a cash register on the stand and saidconveyor by a cashier.

4. A checkout counter comprising an elongated, generally rectangularcounter having a customer side and a cashier side and including aconveyor for carrying articles thereon to a rear station on saidcounter; a cash register stand obliquely projecting from a front portionof said counter at said cashier side toward rear of said counter forguidance of customers in adjacent aisle away from said cashier side,thereby providing a free space therebehind enabling a cashier to movealong said cashier side to said rear station without interference; afirst flat bagging platform below said rear station on said cashier sideat a convenient level; a first set of storage shelves for various bagsizes in said counter below said rear station and adjacent said firstplatform; a second fiat bagging platform below said rear station on rearend of said counter at said level for customer assistance in bagging; asecond set of storage shelves for various bag sizes in said counterbetween said rear station and said second platform; and

an upright box affixed at a rear corner of said counter at said cashierside, said box separating said first and second platforms and being openat top for storage of a standard size bag therein, said box cooperatingto stand bags on said first and second platforms and maintaining aseparation between said customer and cashier side which encourages saidcustomer assistance.

5. A checkout counter in accordance with claim 4 wherein said rearstation has a downward slope for collection of said articles from saidconveyor.

6. A checkout counter comprising an elongated counter having a customerside and a cashier side and including a conveyor means for carryingarticles thereon to a rear station on said counter; a cash registerstand projecting from said cashier side to provide free spacetherebehind enabling a cashier to move along said cashier side to saidrear station without interference with customers or carts in an adjacentaisle; a first fiat bagging platform below said rear station on saidcashier side at a convenient level; a second flat bagging platform belowsaid rear station on rear end of said counter at a convenient level forcustomer assistance in bagging; and an upright box affixed at a rearcorner of said counter at said cashier side, said box separating saidfirst and second platforms and being open at top for storage of astandard size bag therein, said box cooperating to stand bags on saidfirst and second platforms and maintaining a separation between saidcustomer and cashier sides which encourages said customer assistance,said conveyor means including two spaced conveyor systems separated by aplate adjacent said stand, one of said conveyors being between saidplate and said rear station, and a switch means at said rear station foroperating said one conveyor system.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,776,730 1/1957Crawford 186-1 2,871,984 2/1959 Colman 186-1 3,109,515 11/1963 Schild186-l EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner.

1. A CHECKOUT COUNTER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED COUNTER HAVING A CUSTOMERSIDE AND A CASHIER SIDE AND INCLUDING A CONVEYOR MEANS FOR CARRYINGARTICLES THEREON TO A REAR STATION ON SAID COUNTER; A CASH REGISTERSTAND PROJECTING FROM SAID CASHIER SIDE TO PROVIDE FREE SPACETHEREBEHIND ENABLING A CASHIER TO MOVE ALONG SAID CASHIER SIDE TO SAIDREAR STATION WITHOUT INTERFERENCE WITH CUSTOMERS OR CARTS IN AN ADJACENTAISLE; A FIRST FLAT BAGGING PLATFORM BELOW SAID REAR STATION ON SAIDCASHIER SIDE AT A CONVENIENT LEVEL; A SECOND FLAT BAGGING PLATFORM BELOWSAID REAR STATION ON REAR END OF SAID COUNTER AT A CONVENIENT LEVEL FORCUSTOMER ASSISTANCE IN BAGGING; AND AN UPRIGHT BOX AFFIXED AT A REAR